The universe was known as the GTA IV Era until the announcement of Grand Theft Auto V, which revealed that games within the series are set in different universe based on their graphics (2D, 3D and HD), contrary to the previous belief that each "numbered" title started a new era.

Games in the HD Universe

Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) is set in Liberty City in 2008. It was the first GTA game to be released simultaneously for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, and was released on 29 April 2008. In August 2008, Rockstar announced that a PC version of GTA IV would be released later in the year, and the PC version was released on 3 December 2008. GTA IV's game engine is the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (also known as RAGE) used in Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis and the Euphoria physics engine. The game takes place in a redesigned Liberty City, which bears a much closer resemblence to New York City than its 3D counterparts. The protagonist is Niko Bellic, a 30-year-old Yugoslavian war veteran.

Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned

The Lost and Damned (2009) is the first of the two episodes for GTA IV. The DLC version of TLAD requires the original GTA IV to play and is also available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. It is included in Episodes from Liberty City, which does not require GTA IV. TLAD's storyline runs alongside the main GTA IV storyline and the protagonist is Johnny Klebitz, the 34-year-old Vice President of the Alderney Chapter of The Lost Brotherhood Motorcycle Club.

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony

The Ballad of Gay Tony (2009) is the second episode released for GTA IV. Like TLAD, the DLC version requires the original GTA IV to play, but it is also included in the standalone Episodes From Liberty City. TBoGT's storyline also ties in with the main GTA IV storyline, as well as TLAD. The protagonist is Luis Fernando Lopez, the 25-year-old personal bodyguard of Anthony Prince.

The game focuses on the Algonquin Triads, and protagonist Huang Lee, the 25-year-old nephew of Lee Family head Wu Lee. The game's storyline does not intertwine with those of GTA IV and its episodes, and is not part of the connecting trilogy.

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V (2013) is set in southern San Andreas. It is the first game in the HD Universe not to be set in Liberty City. For the first time in a single Grand Theft Auto game, Grand Theft Auto V features three protagonists: Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, and Trevor Philips. GTA V was released for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on 17 September 2013. An enhanced version was released for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One on 18 November 2014, and is planned to be released for the PC on 24 March 2015.

Grand Theft Auto Online

Grand Theft Auto Online, like Grand Theft Auto V, is set in San Andreas, and takes place several months before the Grand Theft Auto V storyline. The game is the multiplayer version of GTA V and was released on 1 October 2013, 14 days after the main game. For the first time in the series, GTA Online allows the player to create their own playable protagonist. Although it is only playable through Grand Theft Auto V and is the multiplayer version of the game, Grand Theft Auto Online is considered a standalone title by Rockstar Games and is treated as such, and the storyline does not interwine with the Grand Theft Auto V storyline.

Trivia

All of the protagonists can swim.

In all HD Universe games, the car engine sounds seems to be derived from the Midnight Club series, another Rockstar game.

Until GTA V, every game in the HD Universe has featured Liberty City as a playable location. GTA IV and its DLCs also features Alderney, while Chinatown Wars does not.